Letter to the Editor: Questions abound about eLearning Cafe proposal

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Kathryn Kelly of eLearning Cafes has made an interesting and creative proposal to house the eLearning Cafe in the Incline Library. Nevertheless, there are some key questions that need to be answered to help us in Incline understand the project completely. These questions have not been addressed in articles or in the proposal. It is critical or the Bonanza to write a well-done journalistic report that presents all the needed information.

For example:

a) What are the implications of having another nonprofit using Washoe County Library community space? Why this nonprofit and not another?

b) How does the Incline Library staff feel about this proposal and its affect on them, and why do they feel this way?

c) Why do the Washoe Country Library trustees not like the idea?

d) What are the implications of other groups not being able to use that room in the library? The library also uses the space frequently for meetings, shows, etc. It is a good community public space.

e) What sort of real costs are involved in putting the center in the library? For example, if the cafe is open at night after library hours, it will use electricity and need a watchman. This costs money.

f) What are the implications for library staff of using volunteers from eLearning Cafe. That may not be as simple as described.

These are just a few concerns that need to be answered. As many of you know, our nonprofit, READ Global, champions using rural libraries as community centers in villages in Nepal, India and Bhutan, but these villages lack the infrastructure Incline has.

We need to clearly understand how the eLearning Cafe would affect the existing Incline Library infrastructure.